Coach Ackermann says the Bulls URC squad is not set in stone. Youngsters and fringe players impressing this week and early in the season can play more regularly.
New Bulls head coach Johan Ackermann has been forced to deviate from his original plan of starting afresh with more experienced players for the upcoming United Rugby Championship.
Instead, he has extended his trial run of fringe players and youngsters, allowing them to feature in the final Currie Cup match – and possibly even into the URC campaign.
The Bulls have played 21 debutants in the Currie Cup so far, but fell after a good start to lose four games in a row. They enter their final round-robin match against the Cheetahs at Loftus on Saturday (kick-off 7.05pm) with no hope of qualifying for the play-offs.
While the original plan was to introduce the Bulls’ strongest players this weekend, ahead of the URC starting at the end of the month, URC coach Ackermann has stepped in for Phiwe Nomlomo, but only to continue relying on youngsters until his injury-depleted squad recovers.
“To be honest, the list in red is probably the best team at the moment,” Ackermann told media, before saying two more youngsters might make their debuts this weekend.
‘They’re all on the verge’
After naming 44 players for their Currie Cup squad, the Bulls suffered an injury crisis and even had to play assistant coach Josh Strauss in one match. He too, suffered an injury.
Springboks Gerhard Steenekamp, Elrigh Louw and Cameron Hannekom are among the injured, as are senior players Ruan Vermaak, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Chris Barend Smit and Cornel Smit, while Springbok lock Marvin Orie has joined the Sharks and Boeta Chamberlain has left for Newcastle in England.
“We don’t have a full 23 players that can return,” Ackermann said. “So it’s great for them to show us what they can do, and who knows, for me, age and experience is great, but if you do the right things, and like I said to the players from the beginning, I’m here on a clean slate, everybody has got the right to the jersey, and it’s up to them to prove me.”
He said players such as SA U20 stars Cheswill Jooste and JJ Theron grabbed their opportunities. So they may receive URC game time both soon and later in the season due to the squad being adjustable.
“We can easily in the last few weeks, just to make up numbers, [use players from] the Currie Cup. We brought in a guy from Tukkies. I saw a lot of potential in him. We brought in two club guys from the Falcons, two props. We brought in a guy from UCT.
“They’re all on the verge of getting opportunities, and we call them back in if, who knows, one of them can grab the opportunity and end up in the URC squad. So the URC squad is not set in stone for me at the moment.”
Bulls release Marvin Orie early
When asked about releasing Orie to train with the Sharks a week before the end of the tournament, Ackermann said they felt it was the fair thing to do for the player.
“He contributed tremendously. His attitude towards the young guys, and how he, you know, helped Phiwe and the coaches there… His thumb’s got a fracture anyway, so he couldn’t have played this weekend,
“We knew we were not going to keep him beyond Currie Cup, so we did the gentleman thing by telling him he can go and start up with the Sharks… where he can settle in with his family at the Sharks.”
